Naturally Lisa

Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity in Your Children

2010-12-21T18:36:00.000-06:00

The largest growing section of the population fighting obesity is children. This country is becoming an overweight nation. We consume too many fats and carbohydrates that are bad for our bodies. By and large, our children will experience more health problems sooner if we don’t do something to turn things around.

Snacks do not have to be unhealthy to taste good. In kindergarten, when the teacher allows children to bring foods for snack time, they usually request that they food be a piece of fruit or something like a granola bar with some nutritional value. Teachers want to avoid kids bringing chocolate, candy, or chips because they are unhealthy, but also because a spike in blood sugar leads to a rapid drop that makes kids sluggish. As parents, we need to follow that rule at home.

The snacks we buy for our children need to be low in fat and sugar. If your child doesn’t want an apple or an orange, try dried fruit. Ocean SprayÂ® makes a snack from dried cranberries called CraisinsÂ®. Dried fruit is sweeter because all of the excess water is gone, leaving only the natural taste. Granola bars contain significant amounts of fiber and a little peanut butter or chocolate to make them tasty.

Even if your child has already been exposed to the chips and cookies, it’s not too late to get them on the right track. During meals, cut down the portions sizes. We feel that kids should have a hearty dinner after a long day at school. The truth is the biggest meal of their day should be breakfast. Eating a large, healthy breakfast jump starts the metabolism for the entire day. With food in the belly, your child can think better and concentrate in school. They are less tired as the day goes on because their breakfast is releasing a steady dose of energy to keep them going.

An excellent breakfast consists of a little fat, carbohydrates, and protein. A scrambled egg, a piece of buttered toast, a couple slices of turkey bacon, and a glass of juice or milk gives them the fuel they need to start the day. If you don’t have time to make your child a cooked breakfast, boil a pot of eggs the night before so that they will have a source of protein in the morning. Give them a bowl of cereal like CheeriosÂ® or Kix® cereal, a piece of buttered toast, and a boiled egg. All major food groups should be represented in that first meal.

Exercise of some type is an important part of any child’s day. When my sister’s and I played outside, we released all of our nervous energy. Playing helped us to relax from our hard day at school and also gave us a better night’s rest. To keep your children interested in exercise, do it as a family. Take a walk through the neighborhood after dinner instead of turning on the television. Play a little basketball or some other outdoor game to de-stress from the day. Parents need exercise as well. It is good for everyone.

Talk to your child. Children can overeat because of a problem that is weighing on their mind. In order to cope, they turn to food. Most think that this is an adult problem, but children can turn to food for comfort as well. Let your child know that you are ready to listen to them when they are ready to talk. Being a supportive parent goes a long way to combat obesity.

Stopping the obesity epidemic in children begins at home. Parents need to educate themselves about nutrition and exercise. If you need to change eating habits, then do so. Your children are modeling the pattern of behavior they see in you. Watch what you eat and they will too.

Article by:
Nicole Dean invites you to www.ShowKidstheFun.com — a free website filled with activities to make memories with your children and www.funexercisevideos.com/big-kid-exercise.php — where you’ll find fun exercise for kids.

Simple Ways to Connect with Your Husband

2010-02-05T20:04:00.002-06:00

This is a great article by Nicole Dean about reconnecting with your husband:
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Have you ever rolled over in the morning and not known the man lying next to you? I’m not referring to that time back in college – I’m talking about the present. After years of marriage, you may start to feel like your husband is a stranger. Or is it that you feel he’s getting stranger? Either way, here are 5 simple ways to stay connected to your husband.

1. Cook a meal together.
Whether it’s breakfast or dinner it doesn’t matter, as long as you’re spending time together. How about getting up early Sunday morning and making a big old-fashioned Sunday breakfast for you and the kids? Or sending the kids to a sitter and preparing a nice romantic dinner together?

You’ll save money fixing the meal at home rather than dining out. Plus, you won’t have to get “all dolled up” (unless you want to). Most importantly, you’ll be using teamwork, which is the number one priority for any marriage.

2. Take on a project and get dirty!
Tackle a big and messy job on your list – cleaning out the garage, pulling up shrubs in the yard, organizing the attic. Make an afternoon of it and do it together! You’ll both feel a great sense of accomplishment that the job is finally done and it’ll feel great to know that you got it done by operating as a unit.

Now that you’ve worked up a sweat, why not draw a bath for two?

3. Spend a lazy afternoon going through old photos and reminiscing.
Talk about the activities you used to do when you first started dating and make a plan to start doing them again. You might not be able to do them all, but make the effort to do as many of them as you can, whether it is taking long walks, going to concerts, or making out at the movies.

4. Play hooky!
Plan a day where you can each stay home from work and spend the whole day home – alone – together – doing absolutely nothing! Lay in bed all day, cuddle, and watch movies. Make sure to turn the ringer off on the phone.

5. Make an effort on a daily basis to stay connected to your husband.
Listen, ask questions – be his partner in all aspects of your life. Something as simple as making it a point to say, “How was your day, Honey?” every day when he gets home and listening to his response can make all the difference.

The most important thing to remember is that you are not in your marriage by yourself. Share your concerns with your husband if you’re not feeling quite as close as you once did. Let him know how you feel, how it makes you feel and that you want to work on it.

Chances are your husband will be clueless, but once he realizes you’re genuinely concerned, he’ll jump right in and make more of an effort. Good luck!

Article by:

Nicole Dean is a freelance writer for www.RomanceYourHusband.com — a website dedicated to helping married couples stay friends and to help them remember why they married each other in the first place

The Death of a Child

2010-01-05T08:22:00.000-06:00

My daughter's classmate passed away last May. She was only 12. They were in the 6th grade. It profoundly impacted me and I knew that. I think I just didn't realize how much until this morning. Or maybe it's cyclical, like grief normally is, and I'll keep having more realizations of it, in different ways - for a while.

I had a dream this morning about her. The girl who passed - we'll call her Mary. I was having a dream about other things, but, you know how they dreams meld into each other, one after another? That's how it went. And it wound up that we were at Mary's house.

We were on our way to play a soccer game and we found out that she could go with us. We were all so excited, because, we thought that just wasn't possible. And at this point in the dream, I think I was in denial and just telling myself she was sick and that was it, not really dying. And I don't really know if I was a kid or a grown-up.

So we went to the game, we all went out the door on foot. At the game, though, we had a bed for Mary and we put it on the field so that she could be right there with us. It was a really weird game, because, we played the whole thing at the other team's goal. They never got an advance on us to our goal. We really sucked, though, and they were a good team. I have no idea where they came from - if they were just more of our friends, if we just met them at the park because we were going to play them, or what.

We weren't making any goals - or very many, but, we weren't having to defend our goal. Dreams are so strange. Then the next thing one of the kids came and got Mary and had to take her away for some kind of treatment, shots or something. The two of them were walking off of the field together and I saw a small bandage on Mary's leg. And that's when it hit me that she was really sick.

And the next thing I know, she has already passed, I'm an adult and I'm on Twitter. I'm crafting this tweet about how it sucks to die when you're only 12 years old, when someone (somewhere, who can't be seen) reminds me about my sister-in-law's good friend, whose 2 year old just drowned. And I respond, yeah, them too. I was somehow tweeting all of that, feeling so sad and morose, when my real phone rang. It was my friend, Loretta, texting me to wake me up.

I thanked her for waking me out of that sad, sad dream. The rest of it was probably just a whole bunch of sadness over those two kids who had passed away.

I still had such a sad feeling, though, that I couldn't quite shake - and that didn't feel right just forgetting - so I decided to come here and blog it.

God bless Mary - the poor kid lived through a LOT in her short life. I think about her family a lot. This was their first Christmas without her.

And my sister-in-law's friend's child, that is the second 2yr old drowning in a month that I know of. So two other families were without their 2yr olds for Christmas, as well.

And I know, I know, a lot more children than that have died. Those are just the ones that impacted me this year.

I had to record all of this somewhere, because, just 'forgetting the dream' felt somehow like 'forgetting Mary' and disrespectful. I know that is not true, but, I couldn't shake that feeling. So before I perk myself back up into a better mood, and get to work for the day - I'm glad I recorded it here.

God bless you, Mary! And two sweet 2yr olds!!

Five Easy Toning Exercises you can Do Anywhere

2010-01-01T18:00:00.000-06:00

Image by renfield via Flickr

Exercise is an important part of our lives. Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age.

Most of us have learned what to do when it comes to exercising. The problem is where and when to get the job done. With a busy lifestyle, making time for exercise is a challenge.

Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem. When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones. Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.

Here are five easy toning exercises that can be done anywhere and whenever you have time. At home, at the office, or on vacation, you can do these easy yet extremely effective exercises.

1. The Bridge Butt Lift – Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is an easy way to tone your buttocks. Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart. Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body. Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor. Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.

2. Squats – Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps. If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted. Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair. Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight. Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release. At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.

3. Reverse Lunges – Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position.

4. Pushups – This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles. If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees. Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.

5. Crunches – Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone. Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position.

These five exercise moves can be done whenever you have time. The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative. Even five or ten minutes at a time will work to your advantage.

The healing power of music

2008-01-01T21:35:00.000-06:00

Isn't music just so amazing? I just love it! Mark hurt my feelings tonight, and I just wasn't ready to talk to him about it, and I don't think he was, either. We were both irritated. So I sat here at my computer and put on my headphones and jammed some Kelly Clarkson. It was perfect, just perfect!

I was able to go through the intensity of the emotions with Kelly, and avoid blowing up at Mark or getting hysterical and then winding up having an hours-long, or God forbid - a days-long fight with him.

You know how when you try to talk about how your feelings were hurt when you're all worked up, and when they are feeling irritable? And how everything spirals out of control - quickly? Rockin' with Kelly helped me avoid that.

And then later on, I was able to tell him that my feelings were hurt, and he kissed me and we made up and everything was cool.

Yep - I like music. ;)

Car Angel

2007-12-29T22:38:00.000-06:00

The Car Angel and Boat Angel programs are working to help kids and teens by producing and freely distributing uplifting, helpful films to them. They have a great series for munchkins called, The Adventures of Donkey Ollie, that teaches kids valuable lessons in a fun and entertaining way. The video that really peeks my interest, though, is called DOPE. DOPE stands for Death Or Prison Eventually, which is exactly what and addict will get if they keep doing what they are doing. The movie follows the path to stardom that four young men take, by becoming skateboarding champions. They all wind up using drugs and leading very dark, dangerous, depressing lives - and then they turn it all around and walk away from the dope. This looks like a great film - not only for me, but, also for my boys, and eventually my daughter, to watch. So often, the drug world - the partying world, is romanticized - this film will show them what it really looks like - the awful way it smells, and feels, and tastes... Well, you know what I mean. I guess, for me, it just brings back memories. I just think this film will show them the reality of what living like that is like. To support these programs - people can donate cars or boats or money.

You can watch the trailer for Dope right here:

Equestrian Tote

2007-12-29T18:46:00.000-06:00

I found the cutest tote bag at The Equestrian Corner! I was just telling Sammie last night that I'm addicted to tote bags - I just love them! And if you add horses to it, well, heck! Then it's just perfect for me! See how adorable it is?I love this bag! It's so funny, because, it has a 'cozy' look to it, and that is a large part of the appeal for me. And that is weird, because, it's not like I can wear it, or use it for a blanket. I think a lot of things appeal to people in that way, even though, they cannot use them for things you would normally use cozy things for - I guess we humans are funny that way. Some of my Christmas decorations are like that. I hang them up on the wall - I don't wear them! I like them, though, because, they look cozy - so they make me feel cozy - comforted. Heh.

The site I saw it on, The Equestrian Corner, has all kinds of things for horses and horse-loving people, and even their dogs! They have some really nice horse riding apparel - I saw two very comfy-looking and really cute vests that I liked, and they were in the closeout section, too! Groovy!

Next time my mother-in-law comes over, she and I will have to look through that website together - she's my 'horse buddy'.

I've got to listen to Clay Nelson

2007-12-29T17:29:00.000-06:00

Back in September, I told you about some wonderful life balance CD's I'd received to review. They were by a man named Clay Nelson. I listened to all of them back then, but, I just listened to them straight through, so that I could tell you about them. And I had planned on going back through them, and pausing to do the exercises that Clay suggests. I was going to take it slow, and follow his program.

The best laid plans.... Here it is the end of December, and I still haven't done it yet. However - this would be a GREAT time to do it, as everyone, including myself, has change ...and resolutions ...and making things better - on their minds.

And from what I heard on those CD's, all kinds of happy goodness will come from getting real with myself by following Clay's suggestions. He has helped all kinds of people all over the world, from individuals to huge corporations! Ok, this is definitely going on my to-do list for the coming weeks. I might plan it for as soon as the monsters go back to school. The interruptions around this place lately are just maddening!

Reprieve for my head?

2007-12-29T15:55:00.000-06:00

So far today, and it's already 4pm, I haven't had a migraine or any icepick trouble. It's funny, the icepick spot itches sometimes. It feels weird. I am, however, having a good 'head day' today. *knock on wood*

I bet it was just a weird, wacky thing that will go away on its own. I mean, my head is just trouble - has been for a long time. The kids are tired of 'mom always having a headache'! And I can totally understand their frustrations, as my dad has always had headaches.

A part of me wants to feel sorry for myself, and haughtily holler at them, "Well! You just don't love me! You don't even care that I'm in pain, all you can think of is yourself!" I can remember all too well, though, how frustrating it was for me, as a child, to come home and Daddy is in bed yet again. I need to get him a new icepack. I need to be quiet. I can't turn on my radio. I can't have any friends over. I know all that, I remember that. So I can totally understand from where they are coming.

And I can also gently explain to them that I am not in the least enjoying all this pain in my head. I tell them that I totally understand their frustrations, because, I lived that side of it - but, that they also need to recognize my side of it now. And how if it sucks for them, it must really suck for the one actually having the headache.

It is kind of a funny place to be in, really. A perfect view of things from both sides. That's how things are for me a lot of times. That is one reason I have so much trouble voting. And taking sides on an issue - like the issue of horse slaughter in America, and its having been recently completely shut down. I read, researched, and listened to both sides - and I just have to throw my hands up in indecision and give it all to God - with a great big....

I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWERS!

Haha - did we really just go from icepick headaches to horse slaughter? Ok, then.

The icepick in my head lingers

2007-12-28T18:38:00.000-06:00

I recently blogged an icepick sticking me in the head. It was ten days ago, actually. (This time I don't think I'll need any subtitle service. Heh.) Well, the little bugger still seems to be in there. It has mostly been taunting me, just ever so faintly letting its presence be known. I wanted to blog about it again, so I'd have a record of the silliness, in case I do wind up having to see my doc over this. I always stumble around when they ask me all those goofy questions. You know the ones - How long ago did this start? Did it hurt every day? What other symptoms have you had? I always feel like the worst mother when it is about the kids, because, all the details are so hard to remember. One time, when Shawn had pneumonia, I was meticulous about it, writing every detail, every flucuating temperature, every symptom, and every date down. And you know what? The doctor didn't even want all that information! Figures! Well, anyway, just in case I need this information, here it is.

It was this goofy icepick headache, really bad one day, then just quiet punctures for a few days. Then on Christmas Eve, at my mother-in-law's - I noticed I had a pain in my head! Cackle! I just had to say it like that! Really, though - we were sitting there and I noticed that I had pain actually on my head! It is right above where I feel the icepickness. (Like my new word?) And it feels tender and sore, and a little bit swollen, and oddly enough - a little bit numb.

Then I was blessed enough to have a migraine on Dec. 26 and Dec. 27, so I wasn't really clear on how much pain was coming from the icepick. Today I woke up and had my normal, everyday morning headache - but, that went away once I ate breakfast. I could still feel a little soreness - I always do after a migraine. But I noticed, also, that I could feel the pain on my head a lot more. But it was just on my head - not a headache. Here's a weird part - I was out on the balcony with Patrick, and the wind blowing made it hurt. That is weird. The best description I can come up with for it is that it feels like I've been stung by a wasp.

In the last two hours, though, the pain got worse, and was even making me dizzy and a bit nauseous. So I came to bed to work, and lean my head up against the wall behind my bed. Just having support for my head helped a lot.

I told my friends the other day, it is probably just some weird migraine tangent. And I imagine that is all it is. Migraines can do strange things to people. My brother's migraines messed up his eyesight. And I've heard other weird things, too. I just can't think of any of them right now.

In any case, here is my little record should I need it. And if anyone wants to pray that this 'icepick' would dislodge itself from my beautiful brain, that would be great, too. ;)

Icepick Headache

2007-12-18T10:53:00.000-06:00

Subtitled: I have a neckache in my head.

I have the weirdest headache this morning. Weird...and PAINFUL!! It started out not hurting continuously, only when I would turn my head in a way it did not deem appropriate. At which point, some 'invisible dude' would slam an icepick into the side of my head! Yeowtch! And just as quickly, he retracts it - and the pain is gone.

I'm standing there, stunned, sure that I've been 'icepicked' - but, with no lingering pain as evidence. It's been quite the odd morning, yes, it has. (Who keeps letting invisible people in my house, anyway?)

I got the kids all out the door and on their appropriate buses and came back in to have some coffee and eggs. Big mistake. I was chewing a bite of eggs and WHAMMO! BLAMMO! That darn icepick man hit me and hit me hard! I was extremely startled - this was the most painful 'blow' so far, causing me to GASP! and send a chunk of egg hurtling into my windpipe! So next thing you know, I'm coughing and hacking and choking on egg - and after the 'whammo blammo' - my head was quite sore, and the coughing was making it worse. I felt like I'd stepped off the elevator on the bottom level - you know - that place!

So, anyway - I haven't had a 'whammo blammo' with quite that much force again (Thank God!) but, the pain is still lingering.

I, of course, was convinced, that it was a brain aneurysm and that I'd die alone while everyone went to work and school. (Is it super-hypochondriac of me - or just super-speller of me - that I can actually even spell aneurysm?!)

I've since calmed down, and explained to myself that it is just a neck ache in my head. I'm serious. I'm so not kidding you. I have a neck ache on that side, anyway. I've had it for days. And you know, when you get a really sore neck, and if you turn it just so - accidentally, how excruciating it can be? Well, that is EXACTLY what it feels like - only it is in my head. So somehow the pain in my neck was nice enough to extend itself into my head.

And no, I don't have a brain tumor. Sheesh.

Lay off my rice cakes, dudes!!

2007-12-17T16:12:00.000-06:00

I had gotten into a very bad microwave popcorn habit. I was eating way too much of it - not even sure I want to tell you how much. Eeps. So to curtail that habit, I switched to pretzels. And now, also, to rice cakes. I'm quite sure an abundance of rice cakes will be better for me than an abundance of microwave popcorn! And yes, I am aiming to not eat an abundance of anything. Baby steps, here.

And it seems my baby steps are providing quite the entertainment for two rotten teenagers! The boys came home and my last two rice cakes are sitting on the counter waiting for me to thoroughly enjoy their deliciousness! Hahaha! And what do you think happened? Well, picture two teenagers left alone with rice cakes! The hilariousness ensued...."Mom! What the heck do these things taste like? C'mon - lemme taste one - just a little bit! OH! YUCK!"

"Put that down! Those are my last two!" Creeps... I left the room to go visit Mrs. Murphy, and when I came back, the monsters were still discussing my food! They were carrying on about how it must have been fake rice. Something about how if it was real, it would look like such and such...

"Hahaha, boys! Very funny. It is real rice. Gah!"

So then the older one says, "You know what, Mom? I bet we could tear off a piece of it and leave it lying around somewhere, like on the tv lift or something, and Dad really would think it was styrofoam!"

It's hard to get healthy with monstery children about!

Yeah, smart choices - and smart a*s kids! Ha!

Phone Lust

2007-12-17T09:26:00.002-06:00

We were at the Christmas band concert at the high school on Saturday and my friend Christy was there, who I haven't seen in a while. It was nice to get to catch up with her a little bit. And she had a new phone- and she said it was an unlocked phone and it was the coolest damn thing EVER!! She had this gorgeous purple casing on it, and she just touched the screen to scroll through the different areas she wanted to go and my tongue was on the floor, just coveting her phone! It was awesome! I definitely want one of those some day soon! For sure! Got that? Ok!
I'll be waiting a while, though, because, Mark just got the kids and I new cellphones for Christmas. He got us Razors. The kids are going to be so excited, and he is hoping that I will get better reception with my new phone. My current phone, I'm pretty sure, was manufactured in 1919. It needs to die.

Pepper Spray for my protection

2007-12-17T09:11:00.001-06:00

This is so perfect - I'm so excited about this. I live in the land of the gun-carriers. Their gun-pushing really has subsided over the years, I must say. They used to bug me about it a lot. I mean, heck - out here, even Grandma walks around with a gun! And it used to flabbergast them that I refused to do so for myself! And now I have the perfect rebuttal should anyone decide to badger me again about self defense products! I've got my pepper spray and I don't need a gun, so thank you very much. Oh - yes, and I can keep my self defense object on my keychain! So there!

Going into business on your own

2007-12-17T08:55:00.000-06:00

I love the way that Mark and I earn our livings - we do have people we have to 'answer to', but, we really are in business for ourselves. And that fits both our personalities and skill sets just perfectly. There are many ways that people can go into business on their own. I have a friend that just became a real estate agent. She is loving it and even set up her own website! That is really cool and I'm so excited for her. So I guess she'll be running her own real estate franchise. That would be a good business for my oldest son to go into, as well. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if all our kids went into business for themselves!

Green and More - Eco and People Friendly

2007-12-16T21:04:00.000-06:00

GreenandMore.com is a cool company that not only offers hundreds of eco products, but, that is what they use at the office, too - such as 100% recycled cardboard! They follow many other green practices at the office, as well.

The company sells all kinds of eco-friendly products. I think my favorite would have to be the table and chairs made from recycled street signs. That rocks! There is a really nice purse that I like, too, that is made from recycled inner tubes. There is another one that I love that is made from organic wool.

I love the connectivity of the business. They have a learning section on their website with loads of articles to help you learn all about going green, but, they also have a blog. And their blog is not all stuffy-puffy business-like and it's not all sales-y. It is real live humans who work there connecting freely with customers who visit their site. I love that.

This company also supports environmental charities and provides links to other eco-friendly sites. I just love this site and this company and I will definitely have to show the site to my mom!

Dreaming of other parts of the country

2007-12-16T20:05:00.000-06:00

It's fun to look at other places and think of moving there. Places you've never been and know nothing about. What if nothing was holding you back? What if you could just pick someplace that looked interesting to you and just move there? It's really interesting when you look at it like that. Even if you know you would never really do that, it's still fun to think about. I did say that we might just wind up in some other state. And the places that I talked about all have people we know and love in them. The people are the reason we'd choose those places, mostly. What if we chose a place for the place, though? I was looking at Wilmington NC real estate, for instance, and I found some really neat places. Mark had talked about going somewhere, I can't remember where...oh man, where was that? We were outside on the swing, just talking about different places to which we could move. And I just found it so interesting, was almost shocked at the place he talked about, because, it didn't have any of our 'people' in it. I honestly doubt that I would ever really do that, but, it's fun to talk about.

Dancing on my cellphone

2007-12-16T19:23:00.000-06:00

Well, doesn't everyone? Dance on their cell phone, I mean? No, not on it, silly! When you are talking on it! I do, especially in this house - the cell reception is horrible! With a capital "H"!! If I can, I just talk on Skype, because, we don't have a landline and I get tired of walking and dancing around the house, trying to find just the right spot - then finding it - then that spot going bad - then finding another spot...ad nauseum...

The only problem is not all of my people that I want to talk to are on Skype yet. I've been trying to talk everyone I know into downloading it, but, that is a slow process, I am finding. Cell phones just drive me crazy most of the time. I hope they get better in the next few years.

Making this house our home

2007-12-16T18:42:00.000-06:00

We've had so much trouble with everything involved with this house - from the broken septic tank to our bad credit. Not too far in the future, though, we'll be able to talk to a real estate agent about actually buying it and having it in our name! That will be a glorious day, for sure! I can't even imagine how good that is going to feel, as a part of me has just believed that that day would never come. We just have to think positively and keep moving forward and things will work out how they are supposed to work out. Who knows? We may just wind up in some other state...Texas....Colorado....Illinois - you just never know. Just do what is in front of you - the next right thing. And things will work out in your best interests.

Getting out with friends

2007-12-16T18:28:00.000-06:00

My girlfriend called me up on Friday morning and asked me if I wanted to go out and have coffee with her. I was so busy, but, I totally knew it would be good for me, so I said, "Sure!" And we had a really nice time together. The coffee shop that we go to is on the town square, so after we were done with our coffee, we visited a couple of the shops on the square. One of them I have been wanting to go into for a long time. They had the absolute cutest things! They had handmade purses, beautiful jewelry, and gorgeous little makeup mirrors. Oh! They even had a purse made out of a football! It was really neat, even though I don't like football! I've been telling Sammie for a long time that we need to go in that store and look around, and I was so right! Only - if I had had Sammie with me, I'm afraid I never would have gotten out of there! Haha! She does want to go, though - even more now, after hearing me talk about it. It was really good to get out with my friend and hang out for a little while, even if all we did was window shop!

Daily prayer makes all the difference

2007-12-13T19:19:00.000-06:00

I have to say that I am still amazed what a difference daily prayer makes in my life. When I remember to hit my knees in the morning, and at night when I go to bed, my life runs a lot smoother and a lot happier. Maybe I don't even want to say 'happier'. It's more like - fulfilled. That is it - I walk through my life feeling more fulfilled when I am 'plugging into the source' twice a day. I love the way this one older gentleman I used to know would talk about it. He talked about it like plugging a power cord into an electrical outlet. I love that analogy, and I can really wrap my brain around it.

I do think it's funny that after several years of sobriety, I am still amazed at the power of those two tiny little bits of action on my part. Amazed I am, though.

I realized this morning that I hadn't been praying for several days - this is what has it on my mind. I don't know when I stopped or why I stopped. One might think with all the rush of Thanksgiving, I would forget to pray. That wasn't it, though. I specifically remember praying while my mom and dad were here. It was such a special time we had and I remember talking to God about it. I talk to God a lot during the day, but, those times on my knees are much more 'in touch', if you will. And I remember being 'in touch' with God when Momma and Daddy were here.

You know what I bet it was? And this is so super silly. Sometimes when I go to bed at night, Lucky is in my way, and it is very hard to kneel down beside the bed. Put 120 pounds of dog in my two feet 'hallway' between my dresser and my bed, and things are a little cramped. Ha! You should see me trying to get up in the middle of the night to pee! That's a funny sight!

I don't really know if that is what it was that caused me to stop, but, I do know that, just in case it was, I shall pray at the end of the bed at night if I need to do so. It's weird, because, in the morning, I just hit my knees wherever, sometimes even in the dining room next to a chair. At night, though, I'm so picky about how my bedtime routine goes. I guess I better nip that in the bud!

Ok, so ya'll remember to 'plug in' tonight - I know I will! (And thanks, Lloyd - for the cool analogy!)

I'm still eating the cheese, Momma!

2007-12-13T16:21:00.000-06:00

Am I gonna get sick? Am I gonna die? I hope not! I cannot stop eating the cheese ring that my mother made for us at Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving? Yes, thanksgiving. I just cannot help, but, eat it - it is so good! I have had to eat it rather slowly, because, I've had horrible indigestion these last few months. And since I didn't have a food processor, those onions are killing me. Or maybe they would kill me, even severely processed. Or maybe the itty bitty bit of Tabasco sauce is killing me. I have no idea, but, I just know that my precious cheese ring makes my life worse. Wah.It's not all that pretty anymore, either - is it? And it sure doesn't look like a ring - ha! We had to shove it into a Tupperware so it would stay fresh. Yeah - fresh. See, here's the thing, cheese is milk that's gone bad, right? So if it's already bad, I'm okay, right? Haha! Seriously, it tastes just fine. And it is oooooh, so good!! I just can't stop eating it!

Isn't it funny how the TV's are all stuck to the walls?

2007-12-02T19:59:00.000-06:00

I've just been noticing that more and more lately - that people just aren't using tv shelves anymore. We went out to eat last night, and it was a deli sandwich/bar type of restaurant and they had a big flat screen TV up on the wall. And another place we like to go is a Mexican restaurant that has two big flat screen TV's on the walls. They have one on each side so no matter which way you are sitting, you can see one of them.

And then earlier this afternoon, a friend was showing us some pictures of her newly-redone living room and I noticed that her TV was stuck to the wall and she had a tiny little table in front of it to hold the DVD player. And I just thought it was so funny, how everywhere you go - the TV's are all stuck to the walls!

Ours will be once we bring it upstairs from the basement. There is no place to hang it on the wall down there, so we had to use the little stand thing that came with it and Mark put it on one of his chests. No, not his chest - one of his chests! Silly!

Lucky! You're supposed to do that at home!

2007-11-28T20:13:00.000-06:00

My sweet dog, Lucky, who I usually refer to as 'Puppy', has developed an icky habit lately. You know I've been making an effort to take more walks. And half of the time, I take Puppy with me. And the little monster ('little' meaning: dear, sweet, honeybaby - we all know he's not little!) is defecating in neighbor's yards!! What?! That is not how we do it! He has been an at-home-pooper all his life! I mean - all his life! What on earth happened? If this keeps up, I'm going to have to go shopping for some pet supplies. The plastic bag over the hand thing is just YUCK! I'd like to find a pooper scooper like my dad had once - it was this really cool contraption, that would keep your hands totally clean! Clean is definitely good when it comes to my hands. But that's a whole 'nother issue we'll discuss another day!

Don't stay up so late!

2007-11-28T16:27:00.000-06:00

I'm completely worthless today. I was semi-functional for most of the day, but, since around 1pm, I've been a lump in front of this screen. I stupidly stayed up last night until 12:30am! What was I thinking? I know full well that lately I've been very tired - even falling asleep for the night one night at 7:30pm! And yet, I go and stay up that late!

I've got lots of work that I could be doing right now, but, I am so uber sleepy, I am half considering going to bed! You know what time it is here? It's only 4:30! Isn't that crazy? I wish I had an in-house movie theater - that would be just perfect right now. I mean, really - I'd hate to go to bed at 4 in the afternoon! But if I could get cozy in some home theater furniture, relax, and watch a movie - that would be perfect!

One thing is for sure - you won't catch me staying up that late again any time soon! Sheesh!